If you’re a fan of the NBA or this blog, you’re probably aware that Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics tore his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. And while the injury put the proverbial nail in the Celtics’ coffin, as they were finished off by the Knicks in Game 6, many across the league felt that the torn Achilles also meant the Celtics were essentially out of contention all of next year as well. An Achilles tendon tear and surgical repair typically has about a 12-month recovery timetable, meaning it’s unlikely Tatum would be back to full fitness and conditioning in time to really help the Celtics should they make it to the playoffs next year.
However, that discourse changed a bit shortly after the injury. We went from waiting on an official confirmation of an Achilles tear to news that Tatum had already undergone successful surgery to address the tear. The surgery happened within 16 hours of the injury, which is faster than any other high-profile Achilles tears in professional basketball players. Damian Lillard underwent surgery five days after tearing his Achilles, and even Kevin Durant needed until Wednesday to have a tear corrected that occurred on a Monday. No high-profile NBA player had ever had an Achilles tendon tear performed so quickly, and it inherently led to some speculation from media members. Among them was Bill Simmons, the former ESPN columnist and current CEO of The Ringer, who raved that the quick surgery could potentially allow Tatum to return in February, a mere nine months after the injury. The potential for a speedy return was echoed by some columnists as well.
Naturally, we posed the question to Dr. Silverman. Could the fact that Jayson Tatum underwent Achilles tendon rupture surgery within hours of the injury actually allow him to return months quicker than others?
Dr. Silverman Weighs In On Tatum’s Recovery Timeline
While I wish for the sake of high-level basketball that Jayson Tatum would be able to shave months off his recovery by undergoing surgery roughly 12 hours after it occurred, the fact of the matter is this will not have much of an influence at all on his recovery timeline.
As it currently stands, Tatum is maybe two days ahead of Kevin Durant in his recovery when comparing their two outcomes. 2-3 weeks from now, it’s unlikely that how quickly Tatum underwent surgery would have any noticeable difference in his recovery than Durant’s Achilles would be if inspected at the same interval. Some are arguing that we’ve never had a situation where a high-level basketball player has undergone Achilles tendon repair so quickly, and thus the impact can only be positive. While it could positively impact his healing, it could also negatively impact it. Some doctors believe that ruptured tendons are better surgically addressed roughly a week after the injury. This time period allows part of the tendon to begin the healing process, essentially priming them ahead of the repair. Waiting a bit also ensures all the tissue that is going to die as a result of the injury is dead and can be effectively removed during surgery.
That’s not to say that Tatum is in a worse position because he underwent surgery so quickly, it’s just that the risk-benefit ratio in these instances isn’t clear. To suggest that it can only be positive and could help knock months off his recovery is foolhardy.
If Tatum is going to recover in time to help the Celtics next season, his age (only 27, youth on his side) and his work ethic during his months of rehab will have much more influence on his recovery timetable than when his surgery was performed. Doctors didn’t stumble onto some miracle cure to Achilles recovery by performing the operation so quickly. It could be beneficial, it may not matter in the slightest, but other factors will play a much more pivotal role as to whether or not Tatum plays meaningful minutes for the Celtics next season.
As always, we wish Tatum the best of luck with his recovery.